


Of Daughters and Men

by comebackjessica



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Cigarettes, Drinking, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Humor, John And Arthur Are The Best Uncles In The World, Parent Tommy Shelby, Poker, Shelby Character, Strong Female Characters, Swearing, Tommy Shelby Needs a Hug, Tommy Shelby's Daughter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29027223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comebackjessica/pseuds/comebackjessica
Summary: Tommy’s daughter is dating a member of a rival gang. As expected, Daddy Dearest is not coping well.
Relationships: Tommy Shelby & Original Character(s), Tommy Shelby & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 15





	Of Daughters and Men

Tommy Shelby was never more prepared for a meeting in his life. Granted, nobody in the family nor the office actually realized  _ this  _ was him preparing, since among the things that Tommy was doing all morning were, in that order: yelling at his assistant, throwing papers around, drinking whisky for breakfast, and arguing with any Shelby that dared to cross paths with him.

“For fuck’s sake, Tommy!” The first one that decided to call him out on it was Ada, who nearly slapped him on the way out of the office. She didn’t, only because Polly caught her wrist in time.

She was just about to come to work and the scene that unfolded before her was, if not entirely unfamiliar, then perhaps a bit alarming. Tommy in such a state could only mean one thing and one thing only.

“Christ, Tommy, what has she done  _ now? _ ” Polly asked, her eyes fixed on her nephew.

_ She  _ was of course none other than Alice Shelby, Tommy’s firstborn and the apple of his eye. To be frank, she was not a child, despite what Tommy might want everyone to believe; she was a young woman now and her father was obviously not taking it as well as he’d like the rest of the family to believe.

“Well?” Polly pressed him, still not letting go of Ada. All three stood like that near the main entrance to Shelby Company Limited, making it very hard for the rest of the employees not to witness the drama.

“She’s dating someone,” Tommy said, defeated. He lit a cigarette and shrugged. “And I’m gonna kill him.”

“You will do no such thing!” Polly roared at him and finally let Ada go. “And apologize to your sister.”

Tommy sighed and shook his head, his thoughts obviously elsewhere.

“I’m sorry, Ada,” he said after a minute, if a little flatly.

“That’s alright,” Ada huffed, obviously still not over the numerous unpleasant arguments they had this morning. “Listen, this had to have happened some day,” Ada tried to reason with her brother, as he took long drags of his cigarette.

“Alice is a smart girl and I honestly don’t know where she takes it from, seeing as you’re a bloody moron!” Polly ended that discussion and shook her head. “Now, who’s the lucky fella? We should meet him,” she decided. “ _ As a family, _ ” she stressed, seeing Tommy’s glare.

It seemed like the women finally managed to calm Tommy down, at least for him to allow them to go into his office instead of the public forum, to discuss the matters further.

“I’m meeting the boy’s father for dinner, in the afternoon. If he doesn’t kill me, I should be back before seven,” Tommy said, back to his reserved and composed self.

Ada furrowed her brow.

“I don’t understand… Why would he kill you? Besides for… your delightful conversation skills, obviously” she asked, but before Tommy could answer, Polly tried to reason with him once more:

“Jesus Christ, Thomas, please tell me you’re not gonna go there and threaten some poor boy’s father with a gun?!”

“Nobody said anything about a gun, Pol.” Tommy poured them all a drink. “Besides, the man has plenty of his own.”

“So… Wait. Why would he have guns? Who is this guy? Alice’s fella, I mean,” Ada tried once more. This time, Polly also wanted to know, since Tommy was being unusually enigmatic about it, even for him.

Tommy considered his options carefully before finally cracking under pressure.

“He’s Elyon Price’s son.”

Silence fell in the room. 

“Fucking Christ,” Polly finally said, before downing her drink in one go and immediately pouring herself another one. “I take back everything I said in there,” she gestured towards the office corridor. “That girl is as reckless as her father!”

That made Tommy smirk a little, which would’ve gone unnoticed by most, but not his aunt.

“Don’t you fuckin’ smirk at me, Thomas! There’s nothing to be proud of! Honestly, the pair of you,” Polly sipped at her drink, pacing and visibly trying to come up with a plan.

“Tommy,” Ada said in the meantime, trying to be the gentler voice of reason. “Where is Alice, exactly?”

“With her uncles,” Tommy said. “John and Arthur are keeping an eye on her in The Garrison.”

* * *

Out of all the buildings and businesses that Alice’s father had acquired ever since he started the company, The Garrison was the girl’s definite favorite. It was loud, it was lively, and she could drink inside. 

Now, she sat at her favorite table with her two uncles, Arthur and John, and proceeded to beat them mercilessly at poker. A couple of years ago, they made a mistake of teaching her this game, one they came to regret since apparently they taught her a bit too well.

A small pile of change was laying on the table, and a couple of patrons stood now behind John, anticipating his next move. Arthur decided to fold a long time ago and now busied himself with ordering the three of them another round.

“You’re bluffing,” John said to Alice, a wicked grin spread across his face.

“Hm, I don’t know, John…” She sighed heavily and shook her head. “These here, you know…” She clicked her tongue. “They don’t look too good for you, I’m not gonna lie.”

Alice never called her uncles “uncle”, in public, always by their first name. Those who knew they were family, they knew. The rest mustn’t know, as Tommy always said. Growing up with the Peaky Blinders was dangerous enough, being one’s daughter was another matter entirely.

“Fuck off, she’s bluffing!” Arthur chuckled and clinked his glass with John before downing his whisky. Some of the patrons behind John murmured amongst each other.

“Are you gonna call it, then?” Alice asked, her voice deceptively sweet.

Despite what her Aunt Polly might have said, she wasn't reckless. She was methodical and remorseless, just like her father. Blessed with his looks and his wits, it was honestly the other gangster’s son that should be scared of Alice Shelby.

“Fuck it, call!” John slammed his cards on the table but before Alice was about to do the same, the door to the pub swung open. 

“Shit!” Arthur quickly grabbed the money. Following his lead, Alice gathered the cards, trying to look as innocent as humanly possible. 

Tommy Shelby stood by the entrance, with Polly and Ada following closely behind. They slowly approached the table, Polly already shooting daggers at Alice’s uncles. John winked at his niece as she pocketed the cards. 

“I see you hired the best people for the job, Tommy,” Polly said, in her notorious acerbic tone. “They’re certainly keeping an eye on her.”

“Hi, Pol,” Alice smiled at her auntie brightly, making use of her long lashes and innocent blue eyes.

“Is that my old suit, Alice?” Tommy asked and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray before his daughter. 

“I had it altered,” she spread out a bit on the chair, showing off the outfit. “You like?”

Tommy said nothing. Instead, he took the glass in front of Alice, then poured the contents on the floor.

“I think I made myself clear the last time and the one before,” he said, tone cold and deceptively calm. “And I don’t like to repeat myself.” Tommy looked at the bartender after saying this.

The burly man was now doing everything in his power to appear as small as possible. 

“Sorry, Mr. Shelby, I—”

“She is not to be served alcohol!” Tommy shouted at the poor man, before smashing the glass against the wall. If the pub wasn’t completely quiet before, it was now. “Everybody out,” Tommy said, this time without raising his voice even one bit. “This is a family meeting.”

If the other Shelbys didn’t like this, they said nothing. They stuck together.

“Not you,” Tommy pointed at the bartender before the man could scurry away towards the back door. “You’ll pour me a drink. Then another. And then, and only then, will you be allowed to leave. Are we clear?”

Nobody spoke.

“Are we clear?!” This time, Tommy yelled.

Alice tried to keep herself composed and not to show emotions, though granted — she was no master at that just yet.

“Yes, Mr. Shelby!” The man grabbed the best bottle of whisky and a couple of glasses.

He poured Tommy a drink with trembling hands, then one for all the others, except Alice. Then he stepped back. Tommy downed the whisky and outstretched his hand, without looking at the man. He filled Tommy’s glass again, and thus released from his duty, he ran towards the exit as fast as he could, pressing the whisky to his body like a newborn baby.

“Must you always make a scene, Tommy?” Ada hissed, before grabbing two chairs for her and Polly.

Tommy didn’t listen. He was looking up and down at his daughter, from her dark, fashionably shoulder-length hair, to his old suit from times before the war, now tailored to fit Alice’s slender frame like a glove. Finally, he noticed the coins scattered on the table, and a deck of cards sticking out of the girl’s pocket. Icy blue eyes met the same ones, as the two stared at each other in silence. Alice smirked a little bit, and honestly the cheek on her would make any father crack at this point.

But not Tommy. 

Tommy had a plan, see, and his plan was to always stay ten steps before Alice’s plan. Alice, on the other hand, had learned from the best and at the end of the day, always managed to give Tommy a run for his money.

“Young Eamon Price,” Tommy said, before he lit another cigarette and sat down beside his daughter. He took his cap off and placed it on the table, running his hand through his short hair. He was tired, this much was obvious. Alice’s self-assured smirk faltered then, if only just a little. 

“Who?” she asked, obviously still giving the old “innocent and pure” thing a go before Tommy would call her out on her bluff.

“Your boyfriend,” Polly interjected. Ada just rolled her eyes, mumbling something about hypocrites. 

“What?” Arthur looked at Alice sharply. “Since when are you dating our rival’s son?!”

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Alice hissed. “And even if I did,” she looked straight at her father now. “His name wouldn’t be fuckin’ Eamon Price,” she scoffed. “The name’s honestly ridiculous, sounds like a brand of soap!”

Tommy smiled a tiny bit, he couldn’t help it. Alice thought she had won for a moment, though deep down knew she didn’t. It was never that easy with him. Like father, like daughter, the two of them could have tricked the devil together, had they finally put their differences aside and managed to work as a team.

The two were honestly too much alike for either to believe one word from each other’s mouths.

“I’m meeting Elyon Price for dinner,” Tommy said calmly. “I’d like you to accompany me, in proper attire, that is.”

“It’s a suit, how much more proper can I be?” Alice muttered.

“For fuck’s sake, Alice! You’re not a fucking Peaky Blinder, you’re  _ a lady!” _ Polly snapped. “You can borrow one of Ada’s dresses, provided you won’t destroy it by climbing over a fence, or however the fuck you managed to ruin the last one!”

Oh, yeah. Alice smiled a bit to herself. That was actually during one of hers and Eamon’s first dates. He dared her and said she wouldn’t break into her old school after hours, and well… Safe to say, he was wrong. Come to think of it, he still owed her that five quid.

“Honestly, who even wants to wear dresses?” Alice moaned. “You can’t even do anything in them! Uncle Arthur, help me out here!” She looked at him with puppy eyes. “You taught me how to shoot, just give me a bloody gun! If anyone tries something,” she swiftly grabbed her father’s cap from the table, mindful of the razors, and placed it on her head. “I’m just gonna lie and say I’m Tommy Shelby! And then I’ll shoot the bloke’s balls off.” 

She tilted the cap back a little and grinned at her uncles. John chuckled at that, while Ada looked at her niece curiously, then back at Tommy. Exasperated, Tommy took the cap away and put it back where it was.

“Honestly, Tommy, she looks so much like you, I would’ve believed her,” Ada said, a little amused.

“She’s  _ too much  _ like you,” Polly said and Alice rolled her eyes.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?!” Polly demanded to know.

“Yes! Because you lot,” Alice finally straightened in her seat. “You treat me like a child! And the fact of the matter is, you were much younger than I was when you first started dating someone!” She pointed at her father, before she realized what she had just said.

John snickered a little, having realized that she had fallen right into Tommy’s trap. Her father knew Alice’s temper better than anyone, after all.

A delighted grin spread across Tommy’s face, and Alice realized she had lost. 

“So,” Tommy said, as Alice visibly fumed in silence. He was now enjoying his victory immensely. “Since we’ve finally established that you are, in fact, dating Price’s boy…” Tommy lit another cigarette. Honestly, sometimes Alice just wanted to kick him. 

“He’s not a boy!” she barked, defeated.

“Listen to your dad, we know what men are fuckin’ like!” Arthur roared at her, trying to show the girl reason, albeit in his own way.

“Alice,” Tommy said, trying to explain himself a little better. The two always shared the same views and had she not inherited her mother’s stubbornness, perhaps their relationship might have been a little easier. Alas, here they fucking were.

“He’s a child and so are you. It doesn’t matter if you’re eight, eighteen or eighty. To me, you will always be a child, you will always be my daughter, and no boy or man will ever be good enough to even look you in the eye,” Tommy stubbed out his cigarette and rubbed his tired face with his hands. “So,” he sighed. “Having said that. You will wear a dress and let your wonderful and generous aunties do your hair. And you will go with me and your uncles to meet the boy’s father, just so we’re all clear and on the same fucking page, that if his precious sonny boy even looks at you wrong, or touches you wrong, or breaks your heart, the whole of fucking Birmingham’s finest will come for him and make him eat his own eyeballs, while his dear daddy watches. We clear?”

Alice looked at Tommy now, honestly not sure if she should be impressed or scared. To be honest, this whole thing should annoy her but it didn’t.

“Your father has a point,” John suddenly said, which made everyone a little surprised, most importantly Alice. Everybody turned to look at him.

“I just mean,” he looked at Tommy, who was honestly a little shocked to get a bit of support from that particular brother. Usually, Uncle John would be the first one to encourage all of Alice’s shenanigans. “You will always be an easy target to our enemies, Alice. This is our world, I am sorry.” He tried to plead with her now. “I wish it was different, but it isn’t. So… I think you should listen to Tommy.”

Alice sighed and straightened up in her chair, mulling his words.

“I understand,” she said, which in turn took away about twenty years of hardship from her father’s face. “I’ll do as you ask.”

“Aye! Atta girl!” Arthur barked and patted her on the back.

Then, Tommy raised his hand to shut him up, the relief gone from his face. He looked at Alice now, expecting a “but”. He knew there was one coming, he just knew it.

“But?” he asked dryly.

“No dress. And nobody touches my hair. And listen!” Alice grabbed his hand before he could say anything and honestly, that rare gesture of affection startled him enough to shut the hell up. He looked at their joint hands now, with utter disbelief. “I think you’re getting about this all wrong. Give me a gun or a knife, either one, I don’t care, and lend me your old cap. Let me wear my goddamn suits and let me be myself.”

“Alice…”

“No, listen. If you dress me up like a doll, and make me all pretty, they’re gonna think I’m weak. They’re gonna stare at  _ your  _ daughter and think I’m a defenceless little girl, desperately needing protection, either from you or from them. And I’m not weak.” She looked around the family. “I’m a Shelby. And I’m Tommy Shelby’s fuckin’ heir and I’m ten times better than any son could ever be because I’m a woman and we are fuckin’ stronger.” She let go of his hand then and stood up. “So let me wear my goddamn suits, eh? They honestly make my ass look better.”

John chuckled at that and Ada stood up as well.

“She’s right,” she shrugged and put her arm around Alice. “We are fuckin’ stronger, aren’t we?”

Polly looked at her niece intently, at first saying nothing, but then she took out her own revolver from her purse and handed it to her without any hesitation. 

“Learn to conceal it. And practice,” she said sternly. “And don’t be waving it about, it’s not a toy.”

“Thanks, Aunt Pol.” Alice smiled, honestly grateful.

“I still haven’t said yes,” Tommy interrupted the scene, still sitting down and visibly rethinking his daughter’s words over and over again.

“After that speech?!” Alice gasped. “It was basically a love letter to your bloody legacy!”

He smirked softly at that, though still not looking at her. Then, he groaned and finally stood up to stand beside her.

“Right,” he said, before carefully placing his cap on Alice’s head. It felt like a crown. “I’ll admit, that was a good speech, darlin’. I liked it.”

“Better than yours about little girls and raunchy boys,” she teased, as all of the Shelbys now made their way towards the exit. “Though I must say, the bit about making him eat his own eyeballs? Fuckin’ genius.”

Tommy chuckled again, before putting his arm around his daughter’s shoulders.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally requested as a Reader fic (Tommy's Reader Daughter) so if that's your thing, you can read it on my tumblr!


End file.
